This project strand offers short residency opportunities in partner cities for 30 emerging artists. Each UEO city partner will send two artists on a residency to another partner’s city of a different art form, thereby seeking to enrich their professional practice through inter-disciplinary residencies. Artists are chosen on the basis of having demonstrated an interest in the hosting city’s Arts & Society contemporary European theme. They must also practice a different art form from that of the hosting city’s public event. The project offers the emerging artists the opportunity to travel without the pressure to produce work and ideally to experience UEO’s public events.
Laura McElhinney will travel to Eleusis
Derry ~ Donegal’s other artist, Laura Douglas, will travel to Berlin
Artists’ Statement
I am so excited and a little nervous to be given this opportunity. To date my musical development has been shaped through the classical masters whom I love, but now that I am 18 I would like to experiment and develop my own production skills. I see my future, not as a classical pianist and performer but more in digital music production. I am so excited that there are female trail blazers in the electronic music industry who are willing to introduce me to creators and contemporary composers.
Going to Eleusis to experience how musical collaboration translates into a final creative piece is something I know will transform the direction I am hoping to take. To learn about the music industry from a female perspective and in a European context is an exceptional opportunity. The residency in Eleusis will also introduce me to the www.shesaid.so movement which has an Irish chapter in Dublin which may open connections for future collaboration and learning experiences.
Artists’ Biography
Laura McElhinney is 18 years old and lives in Derry~Londonderry. She is in her final year at school and is studying for A Levels in Maths, Music and French at Thornhill College in Derry. She has recently been accepted to study for a BA in Music Production at the University of York. Laura has been playing the piano from an early age and achieved Grade 8 by the time she was 13 years old. She has been teaching piano ever since.
At the age of 16 Laura was accepted onto Richard Meyrick’s scholarship programme PianoMan to further her classical skills and repertoire. This led to her having Bi-monthly lessons with professional classical pianist Veronika Ilinskaya to develop and build Laura’s repertoire which now includes Chopin’s Grande Waltz Brilliante, Debussy Estampes:Pagodes, Beethoven Sonata B Flat Major Sonata and Chopin’s Ballade Number 3. She was also invited to participate in a 5 day residency in Tunbridge Wells with international young pianists, focusing on international performance.
Laura is naturally gifted and has a passion for classical music, however, in recent years her interest has moved towards learning more about music production and away from performance. An introduction to female music professionals in a European context could open vast new opportunities for Laura and have a transformative impact on her choices as an artist. We are currently exploring connections with the UEO partnership in Eleusis which has strong connections with digital music production and DJing and in which Laura has a strong interest and willingness to visit.